SPECIALIZING IN ISSUES AFFECTING ADOLESCENT & TEENAGERS...

My passion is working with adolescents and teenagers who are searching to feel heard, validated, and above all else accepted. They want a safe space to process their feelings in order to balance life, school and family pressures. As a professional who has worked with adolescents and teenagers for over 20 years, I understand that they often find comfort and are able to more easily share their thoughts and feelings with an unbiased person, like myself, than they do with parents, siblings and, surprisingly, even their own peers.

Adolescence is a time when children begin developing their moral reasoning skills, and work hard to understand and make sense of the world around them. They often question their decisions and contemplate fitting-in with social influences, friends and society in general. They tend to become introspective and think deeper, but may begin to feel confused by these new thoughts and the feelings and emotions they produce.

Adolescents and teenagers that I work with in counseling often tell me how they have difficulty finding their voice. They struggle with their own identity, and often feel awkward and weird inside their own developing bodies. Common challenges involve gravitating towards new groups of friends, engaging in risky behaviors and challenging their parents authority. During later adolescence, they may experience moodiness, anxiety, depression, test boundaries, and express a greater interest in privacy which becomes part of their social and emotional milieu. My diverse background as the mother of two teenagers, a former educator and as a mental health professional, permits me to relate and understand adolescent development, behaviors and emotions.

The developmental stage of adolescents and teenagers is not only confusing for the child, but for parents as well. Moms and dads contend with the mixed signals that their children send, such as desiring support and love on the one hand, and autonomy and respect on the other hand. I also work with moms and dads of adolescents and teenagers to help navigate this very challenging time in a family's life-cycle. Your child will flourish with my guidance and support, and we will work collaboratively to support your child's emotional needs.